Coupler operating rod support arrangement



April 12, 1960 N. H. SUDECK COUPLER OPERATING ROD SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT Filed Jan. 13, 1958 COUPLER OPERATING ROD SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT Norman H. Sudeck, Alliance, Ohio, can Steel Foundries, Chicago, New Jersey assignor to Ameri- Ill., a corporation of This invention relates to couplers and more particularly to an improved lock operating mechanism for an automatic railway car coupler.

The invention comprehends an improved coupler operating rod and mounting bracket arrangement for use with a rotary operated type coupler.

As is known to those familiar with the coupler art, many of the present day automatic couplers, such as the A.A.R. alternate standard type F coupler, are of the vertically interlocking type whereby if one of a pair of mated couplers is pulled out of or separated from its related railway car, it can be supported by the other coupler and thereby prevented from falling onto the track or roadbed where it could cause a derailment or other serious accident.

Even with couplers having the vertical interlock feature, however, in order for one coupler to support another, it is essential that the couplers remain coupled to each other when a-pull out occurs, because when a coupler pulls out or separates from its related car, it tends to exert tension and torsion forces on the operating rod causing the rod to rotate and unlock the coupler, thereby resulting in the undesired separation or uncoupling of the couplers.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide, in an automatic rotary operated railway car coupler, a lock operating mechanism adapted to prevent the accidental uncoupling of mated couplers in the event of a pull out or separation of one of the couplers from its related car.

It is another object of the invention to provide a coupler operating rod mounting arrangement wherein the pull out or separation of a coupler from a car will not result in the application of stresses on the operating rod and.

mounting bracket causing damage thereto.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a coupler operating rod bracket having a shelf adapted to support the rod in the event of a separation from the coupler.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in a coupler operating rod mounting arrangement, of a bracket adapted to support the outboard end of the rod and prevent undesirable free swinging of the rod when the rod is in the normal position, but which also is adapted to permit the rod to swing rearwardly when the rod is displaced inboardly and at an angle relative to its normal position, to thereby eliminate camming action tending to rotate the rod and unlock the coupler.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from examination of the following description and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railway car coupler operating rod supporting bracket embodying features of the invention with, portions of the operating rod shown in phantom to illustrate various positions of the rod rela tive to the bracket, and

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1.

ted States Patent It will be understood that certain elements have been omitted from certain views where it is believed that they are more clearly illustrated in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that a mounting or support bracket, indicated generally at 10, is shown as supporting the outboard end of a coupler operating rod 12,

the inboard end of which is connected to the operating mechanism of a coupler (not shown) whereby rotation of the rod effects the actuation of the coupler lock operating mechanism in the usual way.

Although the particular construction of the rod is not essential to this invention, it will be understood that the bracket is adapted to support a rod of the type comprising a shaft 11 having at its outboard end a depending handle or hand grip portion 13 which includes a vertically extending element 15.

As best seen in Figure 2, the bracket comprises a generally vertically extending base plate or rear wall 14 having extending therethrough from front to rear a plurality of holes 16 adapted to provide a means for securing the bracket to the forward end of a railway car (not shown) in any desired manner, as by bolts or rivets (not shown). In order to reinforce wall 14, bosses 18 may be provided around holes 16.

Extending forwardly from rear wall 14 is a generally transversely disposed ledge 20, which slopes downwardly toward the forward end of the bracket and which is preferably formed integrally with rear wall 14 and with a generally vertically extending side wall 22, also formed integrally with rear wall 14 and extending forwardly therefrom adjacent the inboard end thereof. To add rigidity to the structure, rear wall 14 and ledge 20 may be interconnected by at least one generally vertically extending rib 24 disposed approximately centrally of the ledge.

At its inboard side, bracket 10 is provided with an operating rod supporting socket, indicated generally at 26,

comprising a base or floor 28, also preferably formed integrally with rear and side walls 14 and 22 and ledge 20. Extending upwardly from socket floor 28 are a pair of rearward and forward lugs 30 and 32, respectively, which define therebetween, with the floor 28, a somewhat U- shaped opening or slot 34 extending generally transversely of the bracket. The lower extremity of slot 34 is defined by upwardly facing surface 36presented by socket floor 28, the surface affording support for the operating rod when it is disposed within the slot. Socket lugs 30 and 32 are provided adjacent their upperends with aligned apertures 38. Once the end of an operating rod is disposed within the slot 34, it may be retained in position by means of a filler or spacer element 40 maintained within the slot over the rod between the lugs by means of a cotter 42 extending through the filler and through apertures 38 of the respective lugs.

Again referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the lugs are each provided with a pair of converging surfaces which merge to form a rounded edge therebetween, the rearward lug presenting inboard and outboard surfaces 44 and 46, respectively, and the forward lug presenting inboard and outboard surfaces 48 and 50, respectively. It will be seen that the inboard surface 44 of the rear lug is generally parallel to the outboard surface 50 of the forward lug, while the outboard surface 46 of the rear lug is generally parallel to the inboardsurface 48 of the forward lug. With this arrangement, it will be seen that the operating rod is free to angle within the slot 34 in the event of a pull out or separation of the related coupler from the car.

In operation, it will be understood that when the operating rod is in its normal position, as shown by line X, the forward rotation of the handle serves to move the coupler lock operating mechanism to lock set or un- Patented Apr. 12, 1,960,

3 locked position, and the free swinging movement of the operating rod handle in a forward direction is prevented by the force required to operate the lock operating mechanisrn. The free swinging of the operating rod handle in a rearward direction is undesirable and is normally prevented in conventional mounting arrangements by the provision, on the operating rod supporting bracket, of an anti-swingstop having a forwardly facing surface abutting the vertical portion of the rod handle to prevent its rearward movement. In this case, the anti-swingstop is a forwardly facing surface 58, presented by a flange 56 depending from the forward edge of ledge 20. Surface 58 abuts handle element 15, thereby preventing its rearward movement when the rod is in its normal position. In the event of coupler pull out, if the rod is forced to angle to the position indicated by line Y because of the separation of the coupler from its related car, engagement between the handle and the forward surface of the coupler mounting bracket would normally cause a camming action on the operating rod handle tending to rotate it forward to unlock the coupler locking mechanism and cause the pulled out coupler, having no other means of support, to fall in the track, where it could possibly cause a serious accident or even a derailment. By providing a cut-out or recess 69 in the ledge 20, it will be seen that if the operating rod is displaced axially inboard from its normal position, the handle portion is free to move in a rearward direction without striking any abutment surface on the bracket which might cause an accidental camming action tending to uncouple the couplers. 7

Additionally, it will be seen that in the event the inboard end of the rod becomes disconnected from the coupler lock operating mechanism, shelf 52, presenting an upwardly facing generally horizontal surface 54, is providcd to afiord additional support to prevent the rod from falling out of the bracket and on to the track bed, where it, too, could cause a serious accident.

I claim:

1. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: an operating rod comprising a shaft having its inboard end connected to the coupler for operation thereof and having depending from its outboard end a handle including a vertical element; and an operating rod mounting bracket affixed to the car and comprising a socket adapted to support a portion of the operating rod shaft inboardly of the handle for rotative and angling movement therein, a generally horizontal shelf disposed on the inboard side of and extending inboardly from the socket and adapted to support said shaft, and a ledge disposed on the outboard side of and extending outboardly from said socket and presenting a vertical forwardly facing stop surface spaced from the socket and lying in a plane extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and adapted for abutable engagement'with the rearwardly facing edge of said vertical handle element when said rod is in its normal position to prevent free swinging of said handle in a rearward direction, said ledge having a rearwardly extending recess located between said surface and said socket to permit the free rearward movement of the handle into said recess when the rod is displaced axially inboardly of said ledge surface and at an angle relative to its coupled position to prevent camming action between the bracket ledge and handle element which would tend to cause the rod to rotate to unlocked position.

2. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: an operating rod comprising a shaft having its inboard end connected to the coupler for operation thereof and having depending from its outboard end a handle including a vertical elementyand a bracket-on the carcoinprising a socket adapted torotatably receive 'said shaft, and a ledge disposed on the outboard side of and extending outboardly from said socket and presenting a forwardly facing vertical surface spaced outboardly from said socket, disposed to abut the vertical element when the operating rod handle is in its normal position and thereby prevent movement of the handle in a rearward direction, said ledge having-a-rearwardly extending recess located between said surface and said socket to accommodate rearward movement of said handle element into said recess when the rod is displaced axially inboardly from said ledge surface and at an angle relative to its coupled position to prevent camming action which would tend to cause the rod to rotate to unlocked position.

3. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: an operating rod comprising a shaft having its inboard end connected tothe coupler for operation thereof and having depending from its outboard end a handle including a vertical element; and a bracket aflfixed to the car and adapted to support the outboard end of said rod shaft for rotative and angling movement therein, said bracket presenting a forwardly facing vertical surface disposed to abutably engage said element when said rod is in its normal position and thereby prevent movement of the handle in a rearward direction, said bracket having a rearwardly extending recess located inboardly adjacent said surface to permit rearward movement of said element into said recess when said rod is displaced axially inboardly of said surface and at an angle relative to its coupled position to prevent camming action between the bracket and rod which would tend to cause the rod to rotate to unlocked position.

4. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: an operating rod having its inboard end connected to the coupler for operation thereof and having at its outboard end a depending handle element; and a bracket adapted to support said rod for rotative and angling movement relative thereto, said bracket presenting a forwardly facing surface adapted to engage said element when the rod is in its normal position and thereby prevent the rearward movement of said element, said bracket having a rearwardly extending recess located inboardly adjacent said surface to permit rearward movement of said element into said recess when said rod is displaced axially inboardly of said surface and at an angle relative to its coupled position to prevent any camming action between the bracket and rod which would tend to cause the rod to rotate to unlocked position.

5. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: an operating rod comprising a shaft having its inboard end connected to the coupler for operation thereof and having depending from its outboard end a handle including a vertical element; and a bracket adapted to support the outboard end of the rod, said bracket presenting a forwardly facing vertical surface engageable with the rod element when the rod is in its normal position to prevent the rearward movement of said handle, the portion of said bracket located inboardly adjacent said surface being offset rearwardly of said surface to permit the free movement of the handle rearwardly of said surface when the rod is displaced axially inboardly of said surface and at an angle relative to its coupled position to prevent camming action between the handle and bracket which would tend to rotate the rod and unlock the coupler.

6. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: an operating rod comprising a shaft having its inboard end connected to the coupler for operation thereof and having depending from its outboard end a handle including a vertical element; a bracket comprising a socket, adapted to support the outboard end of the rod for rotative and angling movement therein, and a shelf disposed directly under said rod adjacent said socket and presenting an upwardly facing surface adapted to support said rod.

7. An operating rod mounting arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the shelf extends inboardly and forwardly from said socket to support the rod when the rod is in its normal position and also when the rod is displaced axially inboardly and at an angle relative to its coupled position.

8. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: an operating rod comprising a shaft having its inboard end connected to the coupler for operation thereof and having depending from its outboard end a handle including a vertical element; and a bracket operable to support the outboard end of the rod for rotative and angular movement relative thereto, said bracket presenting a surface engageable with said vertical element to prevent the rearward movement of the handle when the rod is in coupled position, said bracket having a rearwardly extending recess located inboardly adjacent said surface to permit the rearward movement of the handle element into said recess when the rod is displaced axially inboardly from its normal position and thereby prevent engagement between said vertical element and said surface.

9. An operating rod mounting arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said bracket includes a shelf located directly under said rod presenting an upwardly facing surface adapted to offer additional support for said rod in the event of the displacement of the rod from its coupled position.

10. In an operating rod mounting arrangement for a rotary operated automatic railway car coupler, the combination of: a mounting bracket adapted to support from a railway car an operating rod having a shaft and a handle depending therefrom, said bracket comprising a base plate adapted to be secured to the car; a socket extendingforwardly from said base plate and presenting an opening therein; a ledge extending forwardly from said plate adjacent the outboard side of said socket and presenting a forwardly facing vertical surface spaced outboardly from said socket; said ledge having a cut-out portion defining a recess located between said surface and said socket and extending rearwardly from said surface.

11. A mounting bracket according to claim 10, and including a shelf located directly under said rod adjacent the side of said socket and presenting an upwardly facing surface for supporting the rod in the event of its displacement from its normal position.

12. A mounting bracket, according to claim 10, wherein said socket includes a pair of horizontally spaced upstanding forward and rearward lugs presenting substantially vertical opposed surfaces defining therebetween a generally U-shaped slot open at the top.

13. A mounting bracket according to claim 12, wherein the slot is wider at its inboard and outboard extremities than at its center to accommodate horizontal angling of an operating rod within said slot.

14. A mounting bracket according to claim 13, wherein the opposed lug vertical surfaces are generally V-shaped as seen in plan.

15. A mounting bracket according to claim 13, wherein the opposed lug vertical surfaces are convexly curved as seen in plan.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,735,555 Swann Feb. 21, 1956 

